A Love Like Ours
by augustdarkstar
Summary: Bella Cullen returns home to see her father for a secret visit. Little does she know that someone from her past is about to walk back into her life. Set five years after BD AU (there is no Rensesmee)
1. Chapter 1

**A Love Like Ours **

Disclaimer: all characters and copyright belong to Stephanie Meyer.

**Prologue**

The night sky was clear, the stars shining down brightly. The beach was deserted, just the way Bella liked it. She lay on the blanket she had spread along the ground and stared up at the night sky. It was in the dark that she could still pretend she was human. Her skin didn't sparkle and instead glowed in the light from above. She drank in the view, picturing herself on another beach long ago. It was one she would visit often with her best friend. They would lie in the sun and drink in the heat. The thought of her best friend made her sigh, she hadn't seen him in so long. She wasn't even sure how he was. Maybe he had married, had kids of his own. It had been five years since she had dared to go home.

She lay there for the rest of the night, not moving, just staring up at the heavens above. Her mind raced at a hundred miles an hour as she contemplated whether to pay a short visit in secret to her old home. She hadn't seen her dad in the flesh for the same number of years and she often heard the sadness in his voice when he begged her to come and visit. But Bella had stayed away, worried what he would think of her; she hadn't changed at all since she had left.

It was when the sun began to peek above the horizon that Bella finally made her decision. She would go, now, today before she changed her mind. Sitting up quickly, she pulled up the blanket and rolled it up, hiding it behind some rocks. She had no need of it now. Faster then the human eye could see Bella took off, her form nothing more then a blur as she headed for home.

* * *

Charlie was in the middle of eating his diner when the doorbell rang. He put his knife and fork down, grumbling to himself as he got up and walked slowly to answer the door. His face registered his shock when he saw his estranged daughter standing before him. She had two small suitcases by her side and was wearing sunglasses, even though it was overcast outside.

"Bella? Is that really you?" He asked, his voice quavering.

"Yes, it's me." Bella smiled at him, her white teeth shining in the dim light.

Charlie was not usually one to show his emotions, but seeing his only child on his doorstep after so many years overwhelmed him. He pulled her in for a hug, gasping as he felt the cold seep from her body into his bones, but he clung on anyway, delighted that she was home at last.

* * *

"You must be hungry. Can I get you something?" Charlie asked as he studied his daughter intently. She hadn't aged a day since he last saw her.

Bella opened a small make up mirror, checking quickly that her brown contacts were still in place. "No thank you, dad. I have already eaten. I apologize for turning up unannounced."

"Don't ever apologize. I am just glad you are here after so long." He discreetly wiped a tear from his eye.

Bella put the mirror away and looked at him fondly. "I would have visited sooner, but my life has been quite chaotic over the last few years."

"I thought you were happy in your marriage." Charlie frowned. "Where is that husband of yours?"

Bella swallowed thickly. "I have no idea. I left Edward a year ago and haven't seen him since."

Charlie stared at her in surprise. "What happened, kiddo?"

Bella shrugged. "Nothing for you to be concerned about."

"Then why did you not come straight home?" He demanded, letting a little of his anger out at her at last.

"I have been traveling." Bella revealed, looking back at him contritely. "I am sorry for not coming back before but I needed to get my head together."

Charlie sighed as he caved in. "Well you are home now."

"I can only stay a few days." Bella said quickly before he got the wrong idea.

"Why?" Charlie took her hand in his own, flinching when he felt how cold it was. Why was she always so cold now? He hid his reaction as best he could and continued to hold on.

"I have commitments where I am now." Bella lied smoothly.

"You said you had been traveling." He snapped.

"Yes, but I have settled down now in LA." Bella lied again, LA would be the last place she would ever be able to live permanently.

"Well that should warm you up." Charlie said sarcastically as he dropped her hand. "Why are you so cold all the time? You need to wear more layers." He eyed the thin dress shirt and jeans she was wearing.

"I promise I will in the future." She said solemnly. "Please dad tell me how have you been?"

Charlie sat back in his chair and took a sip of his coffee. "Same old, same old. I go to work, come home, sleep, get up, go to work..."

Bella could hear the bitterness in his voice. "I thought you and Sue Clearwater were dating. What happened?"

Charlie shook his head. "The memory of Harry came between us. I couldn't compete with a ghost."

Bella closed her eyes briefly. All this time she had been comforting herself with the fact that her father had someone to love him, but instead he had been alone. Guilt washed over her and she tentatively took his hand, squeezing it briefly before letting go. "I'm sorry."

Charlie ran a hand through his greying hair. "It happens. Now are you ever going to ask me about Jake and Billy?" He raised his eyebrows expectantly.

Bella flinched. "How are they?" She echoed him automatically.

"Billy has not been too well recently. He had a spell in hospital a couple of weeks ago. We were all worried for a while. Poor Jake was panicked he was going to lose his dad. It would have been nice for him to have his so called best friend for support."

Bella didn't miss her father's barbed comment. "Jake and I have not been in touch for years, you know that dad. I doubt me being there would have made any difference. He has a lot of loyal friends I am sure he had enough support. I thought he would be married by now."

"No." Charlie watched his daughter's reaction carefully. He didn't care if he was making her uncomfortable.

"Well he must be dating." Bella said irritably, wanting to get off the subject of Jacob. Talking about him was too hard to bear.

"No." Charlie stated bluntly.

Bella frowned, avoiding her dad's eye. "I'm quite tired now. I think I will retire to bed if you don't mind." She replied, trying to make an excuse so she could avoid the rest of Charlie's interrogation. She hoped her old books were still in her room, it would be a long night ahead as she didn't sleep.

"Not right now, kiddo. I'm expecting visitors." Charlie picked up his mug and dumped it in the sink.

"Visitors." Bella said faintly.

"Jake and Billy are coming over tonight to watch the game with me, didn't I mention that?" Charlie gave her a sly grin.

Bella glared back at him. "No you didn't." She snapped. "I will need to leave then. I can't let Jake see me."

There was a ring on the doorbell. "Too late, kiddo. They are already here." Charlie gave her a warning look before striding off to answer the door.

Bella stared after him, a horrified look on her face. What was she supposed to do now?

_**A/N-Please review. Is this story worth continuing?**_


	2. Chapter 2

**A Love Like Ours **

Disclaimer: all characters and copyright belong to Stephanie Meyer.

_**A/N-thank you all for the kind reviews. Amber :)**_

**Part One **

Bella heard Charlie opening the door and greeting Jacob and Billy. There was a slight bumping sound as Billy's chair was lifted over the small doorstep. She stayed frozen in place as they approached the kitchen. Her hearing was so keen that she could hear Jacob sniffing the air discreetly and letting out a low growl, that wouldn't be heard by human ears, only hers. He knew that she was there. Any chance she had of running out the back door were lost. She braced herself as if for impact.

"You have a visitor Charlie." Jacob's voice was so deep that Bella hardly recognized it. Then again he was a fully grown man now and no longer a lovesick boy.

They all entered the kitchen at the same time as Charlie pointed over at her. "Yeah, Bella's here for an unexpected visit."

Billy's eyes widened in shock as he quickly glanced up at his son, who was staring at Bella himself. Charlie sensed the tension in the air and his good mood began to evaporate as no one said anything. He crossed his arms and glared at them all. "Look I know things were difficult between you both when Bella left, but I won't have arguing in my house. You were friends once, I am sure you can find some common ground again."

"I think we should leave." Billy interjected quickly. He was fretting over his son's reaction. Jacob still hadn't said anything. His eyes were locked on Bella's as they stared at each other like no one else was in the room.

"Oh come on, Billy." Charlie began to protest. "Don't be silly."

"I'm sorry, Charlie, but you should have warned us." Billy began to roll his chair backwards to leave the room but Jacob stopped him.

"Go watch the game, dad. Bella and I will be fine." Jacob's voice was husky as he spoke. He still hadn't taken his eyes away from hers.

"Jake." Billy said warningly.

"You heard the boy." Charlie interrupted. He took the handles of Billy's chair and steered him out of the kitchen and into the lounge, leaving Jacob and Bella alone.

* * *

Bella shrank back in her chair. The fierceness shining from Jacob's eyes made her uneasy and all her instincts were telling her to run. She watched as he pulled out a chair and sat opposite her, his eyes never leaving hers.

"So you've finally decided to show your face." He sneered. "Where's the leech?"

Bella pulled her legs up in front of her and looped her hands around them. She began to rock slightly in her chair, a habit she had developed over the years when she felt threatened. Jacob was taken by surprise at her posture. She looked like a distressed little girl. His shoulders relaxed and he sat back in his chair, crossing his arms in front of him as he waited for her to speak.

"Edward is not here." She admitted, her voice so low that only he could hear.

"Where is he?" Jacob asked, keeping his voice low too. He didn't want either his dad or Charlie to hear anything that was said between them.

"I don't know." Bella said forlornly.

"Why don't you know?" Jacob continued to question her. He was alarmed to see a frightened look pass over her eyes before she hid it.

"I left Edward over a year ago. The last I heard he went to Italy."

"Italy? Isn't that where the Volturi live?" Jacob was astonished at this news.

Bella nodded. "He was distressed when I finally made the break. He threatened to go and this time I didn't follow him."

Jacob ran a hand through his hair. He didn't know what to think. "You think he has ended his existence don't you?" He asked her bluntly.

Bella nodded miserably. Her long luxuriant hair hiding her face. "Yes."

"He might have been bluffing." Jacob suggested cautiously.

"He threatened me with his suicide every time I attempted to go." Bella raised her head and gripped her knees tighter to her chest. "This time I called him out on it. He was devastated. I don't think he was bluffing."

The wind was taken out of Jacob's sails. He hadn't expected this. "I thought he was the love of your life?" He muttered sarcastically.

"No. When I woke up after being changed, I felt nothing for him. There were no feelings there at all. With my new eyes he looked just like any other seventeen year old boy. The attraction was gone. I hid it at first, he still couldn't read my mind, which frustrated him considerably." Now that Bella had started talking she couldn't seem to stop. She had been holding all this inside for so long. "But I've never been very good at acting. I couldn't bear for him to touch me. Everything he said and did got on my nerves. He was so terribly controlling, watching my every movement. I know that he used Alice to spy on me whenever I was away from him. I soon learned to manipulate what she could see when I was alone."

"Fuck." Jacob swore. "I never expected any of this. As far as I knew you were living the fairytale life you always wanted."

"Far from it." Bella said bitterly. "You could say I got what I deserved. I have eternal life, but it's empty and pointless. So you can congratulate yourself, Jacob Black. You were right all along, I made the wrong choice."

"Don't turn it around on me." He snapped. "Your choices were your own. We all had to live with the fallout."

Bella flinched again. "I know. I am sorry."

"You always are." Jacob sounded suddenly tired. His emotions were all over the place. He didn't know how to deal with them. Here was the girl he had always loved, sitting right in front of him, but she was further away then ever.

They were silent for a while as Bella continued to rock in her chair. The movement was beginning to get on Jacob's nerves. "Will you stop it, Bella."

"Sorry." She mumbled, swiftly getting up from her chair. "I will take my bags and go. Coming to see dad was a dumb idea."

Jacob caught her arm as she swept by him. She gasped as his warmth burned her skin in a good way. She saw him staring at his hand on her arm and wondered what it felt like for him. As far as she was aware werewolves could not tolerate the touch of a vampire's skin. She waited out his reaction as his frown deepened on his forehead. "I don't understand." He whispered.

"What don't you understand?" Bella asked him tentatively. The burning sensation had faded and there was now just a pleasant warmth where his hand touched her skin. She didn't want him to let go, it had been years since she had felt warm.

"I shouldn't be able to touch you like this. It should burn." Jacob tugged her closer and she went willingly. He stood in front of her, the incredible heat radiating from his body made her want to sink into it. She forced herself to remain still.

"Your touch doesn't burn either...well it kind of did at first, but now it feels pleasantly warm." Bella couldn't hide the wonder in her voice. She shifted closer so that they were only inches apart.

Jacob seemed to sense her movement and he quickly released his hold, stepping back slightly. The loss of his warmth devastated Bella and she turned away from him to hide her expression. She felt him come up behind her and slowly put his hands on her shoulders to make her turn around. Once again she felt the burn even through the thin material of her shirt, but it soon faded to a pleasant warmth. She glanced up at him from under her long lashes, not sure how to act. For the first time since becoming a vampire, she felt like the old vulnerable Bella Swan.

"I should go." She said in defeat.

"How long were you planning to stay?" Jacob asked her.

"Two maybe three days." She confessed.

"You can't let Charlie down." He replied, releasing his hold on her shoulders. "Stay for as long as you planned. My only terms are that you stay away from La Push and abide by the old treaty rules."

Bella felt sickened. "I have never tasted human blood, Jacob."

"Maybe not but I don't know you anymore." He stated bluntly.

"I am still Bella inside." She whispered brokenly. "I am."

Jacob looked at her again, the hardness in his eyes melting. "For your sake, Bella I hope not. I better join my dad." With these last words he left her alone in the kitchen. If she could have done, she would have cried.

* * *

When Charlie was fast asleep in bed, Bella crept down the stairs and slipped outside of the house. She recalled the old days when she would have made a huge amount of noise by tripping down the stairs, but now she was silent. She would give anything to be her old, clumsy self again. She made her way over to the trees at the back of the house and entered the dark forest. With her enhanced eyesight she could see everything around her, even the smallest insect crawling along the ground. Bella strolled slowly along, not in any hurry to hunt. She was feeling rather deflated, her meeting with Jacob had brought up a whole host of memories she would rather have kept dormant.

She missed the hugs he used to greet her with and his sunny smile. She yearned for time to reverse itself so she could make the right choice this time. If she had, maybe she would have been married with children, instead she had given all that up for this pathetic lonely existence because she thought she had been in love.

Bella stood in front of one of the trees and hit out at it, making the trunk shake and leaves fall to the ground. Birds roosting above shot up in the air, calling out in alarm as she continued to pound at the wood letting out all her frustration. The snap of a twig and a familiar scent made her spin round. She stared into the shadows as she saw the shape of a large russet coloured wolf hidden within the trees. The wolf stared back at her for a moment before morphing back into a man. Jacob quickly pulled on his shorts and strode over to her.

"Taking it out on an innocent tree won't help." He said nonchalantly as he gazed at her.

"It helps me." Bella muttered. "Are you spying on me? I said I would keep away from La Push and I meant it."

"I'm not spying, that was your leech's tactics." Jacob retorted.

Bella glared at him. "Go to hell."

"Been there, done that." Jacob laughed bitterly.

"Well I'm living it, so that should make you happy." Bella yelled at him.

"You are the only one that can change it, Bella." Jacob said suddenly.

"Change what? It's already done." She snapped, getting increasingly irate at him for no good reason.

Jacob bit down on his lip for a moment as if he was fighting an internal battle within himself. Bella calmed down and watched him curiously. "What did you mean I am the only one who can change it?"

"Did you ever love me?" Jacob asked her suddenly.

Bella hesitated for a moment. "What has that got to do with anything?"

"Did you ever love me?" He demanded again, the timbre of his voice had changed and Bella could feel the power behind it. Jacob was all Alpha male and she wondered whether he commanded the pack with that voice.

"Yes of course I loved you. I told you that at the time." She finally replied.

"Did?" Jacob frowned.

Bella sighed as she ran a hand through her hair, shaking out the thick strands. "Do. Are you happy now?"

Jacob held out his hand, his chest heaving as he took deep breaths. "Then come with me."

"Come with you? Where?" Bella was intrigued, his dark eyes were roving her body and making her flustered.

"Do you want to be cured, Bells?" Jacob asked quietly.

The sound of her old nickname falling from his lips made her deadened heart hurt. She gazed at him sadly. "Is this some kind of sick joke?"

"You didn't come back here just because you wanted to see Charlie." Jacob took her hand in his own. "It's because I called you back to me."

"But you acted as if you didn't know I was going to be here today." Bella felt confused.

"I didn't...but things became clear to me after I left. Now come, we are wasting time." Jacob pulled on her hand. Bella hesitated for one more second before finally allowing him to lead her deeper into the forest.

_**A/N-thanks for reading!**_


End file.
